After a tiresome 6 hours in the air, I finally arrived at Delhi Gandhi airport. Not having to sit beside my boss onboard the flight was a blessing I cannot be more grateful for. As we made our way to the immigration counters, I was pleasantly surprised by how modern the airport is. It was nothing of the dilapidating form I'd expected, and I ( Read more... )

India has been among the countries I am least likely to visit. I'm certain there're scenic spots of raw beauty and sights truly unique to its culture. However being a very typical (and perhaps pampered) Singaporean tourist, I have decreed the country to be too challenging to travel to. How much I know about it there has so far been from general ( Read more... )

After 2 days of meetings and the half-day tour to the magnificent Kumamoto Castle, my official duty drew to a close. As we said our goodbyes and exchanged contacts, everyone, with the exception of myself, took the next flight out. By afternoon of the next day, I was the only one of the pack remaining.

As I checked out the hotel to another on my own ( Read more... )

Because I don't speak a word of Japanese, my communication techniques were limited to gestures, nodding, flashing my dumb smile, and the use of very basic English words. Also, staff at the airport, hotels, and mall information counters tend to speak better English so that helped. I was a little surprised it wasn't all that difficult navigating ( Read more... )

And by virtue of the work trip bestowed upon me, I arrived in Fukuoka, all full of excitement and anticipation. It was a surreal experience to once again, come onto the land of the rising sun. My last visit to the country was when I was 5 years younger, for a leisurely trip with some friends to Tokyo and Osaka, incidentally also made during the ( Read more... )

Fukuoka - a city on the Kyushu island of Japan, located at the southmost tip of the country, is Japan's 7th largest city. And this is the city I'm heading to this Christmassy month, albeit for work. It isn't to be a hectic work trip. Instead, it should be (fingers crossed) a relatively laid-back one, with considerable leisurely time in-between (so ( Read more... )

It's been a week since my return yet I'm still feeling the effects of post-Taiwan blues. I've been blabbering non-stop about the country and this passage is no different. Well it's hard to stop when you're in love. The idea of one day retiring in Malaysia or Thailand has always been at the back of my mind but maybe Taiwan is a better option, given ( Read more... )

My friend and I were not very ambitious in this trip - 10 days, 9 nights, 2 main cities - 台北, 台中. To me it was just about nice. The leisurely pace meant we won't be too tired out, and ensured we have enough time to appreciate the surroundings without overly rushing from point to point. Of course we had to forgo some places but that makes an ( Read more... )

Like swimz, my recent trip to Bangkok also marked the first time I visited the city over the annual and immensely popular Songkran festival. I have to say it was a very different experience from my previous trips, which were largely made with 1-2 traveling companions or occasionally alone.

What had previously prevented me from visiting during the ( Read more... )